Detective Work on Getting Coccyx X-rays in the UK

Fortunately, someone with tailbone pain in the UK looked into this further and shared the following information with me. They do not want to be named or given public credit, so I will of course respect their privacy. But I do acknowledge and greatly appreciate their efforts and the information they provided, which is below.

They tracked down the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) latest national guidelines, called iRefer. “They list conditions and recommended imaging, with comments. These form the basis of Trust guidelines.”

“So I spent £30 on the latest set of iRefer RCR guidelines…. Lo and behold, as of December 2017, they do recommend sit/stand x-rays in intractable cases (SEE PHOTO). They mention that these need to be done at specialist centres. We need to find out where these centres are – ask your local spinal surgeon about this. Your GP [general practicioner] is unlikely to know as it is a specialist investigation. I suspect that the message has not trickled down to all radiology departments… and guidelines at most Trusts haven’t been updated yet.”

Summary on UK coccyx x-rays:

Good News: In the UK, the Royal College of Radiologists does have guidelines (from year 2017) that do indeed recommend sit/stand x-rays of the coccyx in intractable cases of coccyx pain.

Bad News: In the UK (and much of the world), you still may have a challenging time finding a radiology center that knows how to properly perform and interpret the sitting-versus-standing xrays.

Those in the UK suffering from coccyx pain should share this Royal College of Radiologists iRefer guidelines with their treating doctors.

Photos of the Royal College of Radiologists iRefer guidelines book, section on coccyx x-rays for tailbone pain:

Royal College of Radiologists, RCR, iRefer, Guidelines

Sit-Stand-Coccyx-Xrays, supported by UK criteria from the Royal College of Radiologists, RCR, iRefer, Guidelines

Sit-Stand-Coccyx-Xrays, supported via UK criteria from the Royal College of Radiologists, RCR, iRefer, Guidelines